The term Jap is used in English as an abbreviation of the word "Japanese." Today it is usually used as an ethnic slur, though English speaking countries differ in the degree they consider the term offensive. Most people of Japanese descent in these countries consider it offensive. Look up Jap in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The following is a list of ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used to refer to members of a given ethnicity (or in some cases, nationality, region, or religion) in a derogatory or pejorative manner. ...

In Japanese dictionaries, the term Jap is only defined as a disparaging term used against the Japanese people; this is also the case in many English language dictionaries.^[1] In the United States and Canada, the term is now considered derogatory; Webster's Dictionary notes it is "usually disparaging."^[2] In the United Kingdom it is considered derogatory, and the Oxford dictionary defines it as offensive.^[3] In the past the term was not considered primarily offensive, for example the Boondocks Road in Jefferson County, Texas was originally named "Jap Road" when it was built in 1905 to honor a popular local rice farmer from Japan.^[4] 1888 advertisement for Websters Dictionary Websters Dictionary is the common title given to English language dictionaries in the United States, derived from American lexicographer Noah Webster. ... Boondocks Road (formerly Jap Road) is a 4. ... Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

The three-letter and two-letter international country code (ISO 3166) for Japan, JPN and JP, are also commonly used for the abbreviation of Japan. ISO 3166 is a three-part geographic coding standard for coding the names of countries and dependent areas, and the principal subdivisions thereof. ...

Wartime slur

Newspaper headlines announcing Japanese surrender in World War II

The first recorded use of Jap was in 1860 to refer to members of the Japanese embassy in the United States. It was later popularized during World War II to describe those of Japanese descent, and was then commonly used in newspaper headlines to refer to the Japanese and Imperial Japan. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1416x1083, 149 KB) Description: GIs at the Rainbow Corner Red Cross Club in Paris, France, whoop it up after buying the special edition of the Paris Post, which carried the banner headline, `JAPS QUIT. August 10, 1945 Source: www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1416x1083, 149 KB) Description: GIs at the Rainbow Corner Red Cross Club in Paris, France, whoop it up after buying the special edition of the Paris Post, which carried the banner headline, `JAPS QUIT. August 10, 1945 Source: www. ... 15 August 1945 marked Victory over Japan or VJ Day, taking a name similar to Victory in Europe Day, which was generally known as VE Day. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ...

"Jap" was a derogatory term during the war, more so than "Nip."^[5] Some in the United States Marine Corps also tried to combine the word "Japs" with "Apes" to create a new description, "Japes", for the Japanese. However, this new word never became popular.^[5] Veteran and author Paul Fussell explains the usefulness of the word during the war for creating effective propaganda by saying that "Japs" "was a brisk monosyllable handy for slogans like "Rap the Jap" or "Let's Blast the Jap Clean Off the Map."^[5] The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... This article is about the biological superfamily. ... Paul Fussell (born 1924, Pasadena, California) is a cultural historian and a professor emeritus of English literature of the University of Pennsylvania. ... This article discusses the unit of speech. ... Look up slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Actions of civil rights groups

In Texas, under pressure from civil rights groups, Jefferson County commissioners in 2004 decided to drop the name "Jap Road" from a 4.3-mile road near the city of Beaumont. The road was originally named Jap Road in 1905 in honor of a local Japanese rice farmer.^[6][7] Also in adjacent Orange County, "Jap Lane" has also been targeted by civil rights groups.^[8] The road was originally named for the contributions of Kichimatsu Kishi and the farming colony he founded. Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Counties Settled 1835 Incorporation 1838 Gentilic Beaumonter Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Becky Ames  - City Manager Kyle Hayes  - Mayor Pro - Tem Nancy Beaulieu Area  - City 222. ... Boondocks Road (formerly Jap Road) is a 4. ... Orange County is the southeasternmost county of the state of Texas. ... Kichimatsu Kishi (?-1956) was a Japanese immigrant to the United States who worked as farmer and a businessman. ...

References

Paul Fussell (born 1924, Pasadena, California) is a cultural historian and a professor emeritus of English literature of the University of Pennsylvania. ...

See also

• Anti-Japanese sentiment
• Jjokbari, an anti-Japanese slur in the Korean language

Anti-Japanese sentiment refers to the view of the Japanese people or of the Japanese nation with suspicion or hostility. ... A pair of Japanese tabi, suggested to have evoked a comparison with pigs feet Jjokbari is an ethnic slur in the Korean language used to refer to Japanese people. ...

External links

Look up Jap in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Jap in literature